Thoughts on the Rat Race (5/13)

It is therefore not surprising that the happiness curve is at its lowest between the ages of 40 and 50. Money does not buy happiness and here we have more than obvious proof. On the contrary, with the responsibilities that go with it, it would rather bring unhappiness. The rat is lost in his labyrinth, very far from the front door, very far also from the exit, linked as never before to his life as a worker-consumer.

Many at this stage tend to get even more agitated or to shout. In doing so they exhaust themselves unnecessarily. However, one thing can save them: time. Indeed, as the years go by, children grow up, the capital that accumulates allows to cover hard knocks, debts decrease, the need to consume and therefore expenses also tend to decrease.

At work, the hardest part has been done, we have proven what we are capable of and we can begin to see the victory flag on the horizon: retirement. From a personal point of view, we begin to see things with more perspective and detachment. We put into perspective the big life goals we set for ourselves when we were younger. We may not have achieved them all, but in the end the result is not so bad, even if our big childhood dreams have not been fulfilled. And the parents we were supposed to take care of begin to leave us, leaving us with a little sadness, certainly, but also much less worry.

In short, over time, responsibilities diminish, and that's a good thing. When you're young, you seek them out because they mean, at least in appearance, autonomy. But later, when you understand how it works, you run away from them. And then, from the age of 50, it starts to work. Suddenly, miraculously, the happiness curve goes up, until it reaches its peak shortly after retirement age... Amazing, right?

Ultimately, we are happiest during our lives outside of working life... This undermines a fair number of principles of the Western way of life, particularly work.